Pathfinder: Skull & Shackles 2018

Beat to Quarters!

Session 119

June 27th 2017

Day 322 7AM Before retiring to take some rest at Sumitha, Yacine added that there was one more item to discuss. A priest of Norgerber, named Josiah Harlan wished to speak with the party. He was sent for while the party took their breakfast. Josiah Harlan arrived. He was a human in his 30s, dressed smartly, all in black. The party had seen him as one of the sub priests, serving Lord Grosvene aboard the schooner, the Sagitta, about three weeks ago.

Josiah bowed, introduced himself, and extended an opportunity for the party to meet with his master, at a destination and time of their convenience. With a sly smile he suggested that Arena may not be best for the party. They agreed on Day 329, at Quent. The party would be met in the main square by a carriage sent by Lord Grosvene. Business concluded, Josiah bowed and took his leave.

Day 322 9AM The party headed to the teleportation portal and returned to Sumitha. Nico dropped magical alarms around the compound while Mittens and Temujin scanned for anything amiss – everything seemed quiet, normal. The party settled in for some well needed rest.

Day 322 Noon Nico came to. A mental ping tripped from the alarm spell at the teleportation circle woke him. He walked over to the front door, but there was nothing there in the compound. He started waking the party went an audible alarm rang from the back door – the party moved up – it was Haddon Pike, who said, “There is fighting at the fort. Yacine sent me to wake you. There are also gunshots at Pyrligburg!” The party dressed, gathered their gear and buffed themselves with magical protections. As they traversed the compound to return to the teleportation circle, they could hear muted musket shots and the occasional fiery bloom of a fireball in the distance.

Day 322 12:03 Arriving in the basement of the cyclop’s tower, the party moved up preparing to head up the great stair. Temujin heard soft sounds of combat behind the former secret door heading to the old vault and underground cells – the latter, where Sandara’s corpse was in repose. They formed up, with Damiano pulling open the door and heading in. Beyond, in the vault, was a creepy thin man, reinforced by gaunt, grey-skinned ghouls, attacking some fort guards. The party weighed into the narrow confines of the room.

The ghouls had a hard time laying a hand on the party, but occasionally got a claw on the party. Their fangs spread a dangerous disease, capable of rending anyone into a ghouls, while their claws could paralyze their foes. The creepy thin man – which they weren’t sure was dead, alive or undead – pulled out a pistol and continued to shoot at Damiano. As the party pushed into the room, slaying the undead, known as Leng Ghouls, the creepy thin man shuddered, his whole body disincorporating into a swarm of rats which fled out the rear door of the chamber.

The party sought to make quick work of their foes and put the chase to the creepy thin man. Nico summoned a deva which pushed through with Captain Damiano, into the next hall and into the foyer of the cells. As Damiano entered, he felt an exceptionally cold breeze up the side stair to the cells at ground level – he also heard the distant barking of hounds. Temujin blocked escape by sealing all exits with a wall of stone. Reinforced by Mittens, Temujin and Pyrlig in the hallway, Damiano and the deva pushed the creepy thin man and his two remaining ghouls to the rear of the chamber, and slew them.

Yacine and Haddon came up behind the party. Yacine added that there was more fighting above, with ghouls and a ghost – nothing that she could effect. The party smashed through the wall and found Sandara’s corpse missing from it’s cell. Instead of backtracking they smashed the wall in front of the stairs and headed up to the courtyard.

Day 322 12:04 The party saw that fighting had clearly taken place. Here and there were dead sailors, others still alive but wounded by claws and bites. The corpses of half a dozen ghouls were scattered across the courtyard.

The party made out, just outside the southern harbor, the Chelish man o’ war, the Dominator – floating near the defensive islets of the harbor – its ballista and cannons primed and pulled into position – ready to fire!

To the east, from Pyrligburg, the party could hear the occasional scream floating across the southern harbor. They could see smoke smoldering over their brand new town. The quiet was occasionally interrupted by the crack of musket fire.

Laetitia, one of the party’s sorcerers, landed among them. She reported to the party that she had just left the north watch. Landing craft had just deposited a half dozen cyclops upon the north shore. Also, as Laetitia was landing, she spotted a half dozen humanoids (not sailors) a quarter mile away. They were moving unnaturally fast, heading south towards the tip of the harbor – they were carrying something bulky.